The instant invention relates to a device for the launching of footballs during practice sessions and the method of using same.
There have been a variety of devices developed for use in sports to aid athletes in honing their various skills. Many of these devices are used to launch balls to assist the athlete in hitting a ball in baseball practice or receiving a ball in football practice. There is great diversity in these devices, both in structure and in form.
Moore, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,588 teaches a game apparatus involving a base with a pivot bracket supporting an arm tensioned downward by a leaf spring. A semicircular support also attached to the base holds a round ball directly above the lower end of the arm. The user must strike the raised end of the arm with a bat. The lower end of the arm is then propelled upward hitting the ball and projecting it into the air whereby the user strikes the ball with the same bat. The leaf spring causes the arm to resume its lowered orientation. By requiring the user to strike both the arm and then the ball, the user""s attention is divided making it difficult to hit the ball. Another ball launching device that also has a spring loaded pivot arm and requires the arm to be struck by a bat to propel the ball upward is taught by Gorvin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,421.
There are several spring activated ball throwing devices that are activated by one person while the released ball is thereafter propelled toward another person. Representative devices, all for launching baseballs, are disclosed by Kahelin in U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,371; Welbourn in U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,713; Slevin in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,494; Borst in U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,297; and O""Grady in U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,318.
Similar spring activated devices for use in baseball practice have been developed. These can be activated by the same person that is hitting the ball without the need for another person to be present and are taught by Perry in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,076; Rowe in U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,813; and Powell et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,717.
Launching a football presents different problems due to the shape of the ball itself. Retrum teaches a device to propel a toy football in U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,728. Two parallel upright panels are spaced apart on a base. A lever arm with a kicking leg and foot on one end and an impact block on the other end is pivoted between the panels. The panels have a forward sloping ramp that is shaped like a football. When the football is placed on the ramp and the block struck with the hand the football is propelled into the air and forward. The motion and trajectory of the football is determined by how the football is positioned on the ramp.
Several mechanical football passers that can launch a full sized football are known. Dixon, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,170, teaches a throwing arm mounted on a frame for pivotal movement. There is a ring-like ball holder at one end of the arm and springs attached at the other end. When activated) the arm is propelled in a horizontal plane and the springs provide a follow-through action. There is an adjustable stop that imparts a rotation to the ball and determines its direction. A timer enables the user to arm the device and then move into the field to receive the ball. Dixon has also developed another football passer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,125. A throwing arm is pivotally attached to a frame and has springs at one end. A second or cocking arm shares the same pivot post so that the springs are biased when the second arm is cocked. When the springs pivot the throwing arm the football is propelled from its open holder forwardly in an arc. There is also a time delay in the form of a rubber strip that is pulled through a slot until the throwing arm is freed. The user cocks the arm and moves into position to receive the ball. A safety shield protects the user when close to the device. A third football passer developed by Dixon and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,319 utilizes a U-shaped metal frame having two long side arms and a base. A small basket-like ball holder is biased by two crossed elastic cords. The ball holder also cooperates with a long guide rod and a timing device. The ball has an axial passage so that it may be set on the guide rod. When the ball holder is released the elastic cords propel it forward along the guide rod while rotating the ball so that it spirals as it is propelled into the air.
Meyer, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,386, discloses a football launching apparatus fully contained in a housing. There is a pivotally anchored door in the front of the housing through which the football is launched. A spring biased catapault arm with an angled basket to hold the football cooperates with a cocking mechanism to control when the football is launched. The basket has an open configuration to assure that no small objects can be launched. The configuration of the basket also provides spin as the ball is released. The user can cock the arm and move away from the apparatus to be in a position to receive the ball. The mechanism permits height adjustment and regulation of the trajectory of the ball. However, the mechanism is composed of many different parts and is contained totally within the housing which makes adjustments difficult. The apparatus appears clumsy which would hamper easy movement of the device from place to place.
All of the football passers involve spring activated catapault arms that fling the football outward and upward a considerable distance from the base or frame. They all utilize some sort of timing device so that the user can set the passer and run into the field to receive the football. All of the football passers are geared to assist the athlete in the practice of receiving a long pass. None of these devices would be helpful to a quarterback who wants to practice receiving the ball from the center, or the punter receiving the ball so he can kick it into the air. These practices require a short pass that is not propelled far forward and is not propelled high up into the air.
There is a need for an easily portable and lightweight football launcher that is controlled by the user, that propels the football outward in a manner similar the release of the football by the center while passing it to the quarterback at the onset of play. There is a need for such a device that can be used by athletes of all ages and sizes from the young player to the college player and the professional.
The football launcher of the present invention may be used in practice by a quarterback or punter who must receive the football by means of a short pass from another player and then either run with the football, pass it to a teammate, or kick the football. The football launcher may have a unique football cradle to assure that the football is propelled in a straight line. The football launcher may have an off center pivot arm with the ball cradle attached at one end and a step plate at the other end. The pivot arm may be supported by a mounting shaft suspended between two triangular stanchions. Alternate stanchions may permit a change of height for the mounting shaft and may enable the launcher to be used by athletes of different sizes ranging from young children to professional players. Anchor pins may be used to fix the stanchions into the ground for stability.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a football launcher that is lightweight and portable.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a football launcher that can easily be assembled for use and disassembled for storage and transport.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a football launcher that has more than one set of supports or stanchions to accommodate players of all sizes.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a football launcher that is easily controlled by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a football launcher that does not require the assistance of another person.
A still further object of the present invention is to have the football propelled in a straight path by virtue of the unique design of the football cradle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a football launcher that is easy and economical to manufacture.
The football launcher for use in practice sessions by a single player comprises two base members for supporting the football launcher on a horizontal surface; a mounting shaft suspended between the two base members; and a pivot arm being longer than the mounting shaft. There is an annular sleeve affixed off center to the underside of the pivot arm and the position of the sleeve denotes a shorter section and a longer section of the pivot arm. The mounting shaft passes through the sleeve and rotatably supports the pivot arm. A step plate is affixed to the pivot arm at the end of the shorter section and a football cradle is affixed to the pivot arm at the end of the longer section. When a football is placed within the cradle and a user is positioned near the step plate and steps on the step plate the football is propelled in the direction of the user simulating the action of a passed football and the user catches the football.
A method by which a receiver can practice the skill of catching a football that is hiked from a player to the receiver without the need of the other player being present. The method comprises the steps of first obtaining a football launcher which comprises two triangular base members each having angled apertures in the lower ends of each leg and anchoring pins for supporting the football launcher on a penetrable horizontal surface, a mounting shaft suspended between said two base members, a pivot arm being longer than the mounting shaft, an annular sleeve affixed off center to the underside of the pivot arm, the position of said sleeve denoting a shorter section and a longer section of said pivot arm, and said mounting shaft passing through the sleeve and rotatably supporting the pivot arm, a step plate affixed to the pivot arm at the end of the shorter section, and a football cradle affixed to the pivot arm at the end of the longer section. The other steps include placing the football launcher on the penetrable horizontal surface; inserting the anchoring pins through the angled apertures so that they extend beyond the apertures and into the penetrable horizontal surface such that the football launcher is anchored in place; placing a football into the football cradle such that the cradle end of the pivot arm thereafter is lowered and contacts the penetrable horizontal surface; moving to the step plate end of the football launcher; and stepping on the step plate. The football is propelled from the football cradle in a low arc while making an axial rotation of 180xc2x0 straight toward the receiver, and the receiver catches the football and thereafter elects to pass the football, run with the football or punt the football.